This invention relates to interactive television program guides, and more particularly, to displaying advertising in program guides such that the viewer""s interest is maintained.
Cable, satellite, and broadcast television systems provide viewers with a large number of television channels. Viewers have traditionally consulted printed television program schedules to determine the programs that are being broadcast at a particular time. More recently, interactive television program guides have been developed to allow viewers to display program information on their television screens.
Interactive program guides are typically implemented on set-top boxes. These program guides allow viewers to view television program listings in different arrangements. For example, a viewer may instruct the program guide to display a grid of program listings organized in a channel-ordered or a time-ordered list. Program information may also be obtained by tuning the television receiver to a channel that displays previews or other promotional information.
Program listings may be searched and sorted by type (e.g., movies, sports, etc.) or by title (i.e., alphabetically). Some guides allow viewers to obtain additional information for a program by placing a highlight region on a program list entry and pressing a button on a remote control or on the set-top box. Viewers may also be able to purchase a pay-per-view program from the program guide or set a reminder for a future program by highlighting a designated location and pressing a remote control or set-top box button. Some systems allow the viewer to record programs by highlighting and selecting a specific program and pressing a designated button.
The availability of such a large number of channels sometimes forces viewers to use program guides for several minutes at a time. This gives program providers and others an incentive to include additional information in these guides with the program listings. For example, advertisements may be provided to give the viewer access to information about products and services. This gives the advertisers access to an audience that it might not otherwise reach, and gives viewers access to useful information. There must be some incentive for a viewer to use a program guide for an extended time period. It is most likely that a viewer will use the guide to look for television programs, and any viewing of advertisements while the guide is used will be incidental. Thus, while numerous ads may be available in a television program guide, viewers will often only glance at a few of themxe2x80x94those that are displayed during the short periods of time that they are displaying the guide as they seek desirable programming.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a program guide system with features that encourage viewers to use the program guide and to view additional advertisements.
An interactive television program guide that displays regular advertisements and pseudo-ads on a program guide screen is provided. Pseudo-ads typically include non-advertising materials that are provided for entertainment or informational purposes. Pseudo-ads encourage the viewer to use the television program guide for an extended period of time and cause more regular ads to be viewed. The viewer may use a remote control or a button on a television set-top box or other suitable television equipment to select a desired pseudo-ad or advertisement that has been displayed. The viewer can select an advertisement or pseudo-ad to obtain more information about an advertised item or to launch an application that is associated with an advertised item.
The pseudo-ads provide viewers with an added incentive to use the television program guide for an extended period of time.
Further features of the invention, its nature and various advantages will be more apparent from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.